Welcome from the editor: in touch

Welcome and thank you for joining me this weekend.

Last week I attended a conference on the food system. One of the speakers, Dr Vandana Shiva, said that with their knowledge of nature and as carers of the earth, we should think of farmers as physicians (and pay them accordingly). I was fascinated by this concept and it made me think about how, as consumers, we are often out of touch with the life of produce beyond the plate – how it’s grown, where it’s grown and who’s grown it. Yet, food is essential for our survival. So, perhaps it’s time we reacquaint ourselves with mother nature and its keepers, after all, in the words of Rattan Lal, Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science, The Ohio State University, “The rhizosphere is the only place where death is resurrected into life.“

This week saw the Farm to Fork food summit taking place at No. 10. The purpose of the event was to discuss food inflation, staff shortages and a support package for farmers, however, attendees weren’t dazzled by what was talked about on the day. Find out why in Farm to Fork Summit an ’empty meeting’ say food and farming representatives.

Sustainable diets are said to be beneficial to our health and the health of the planet. But how does one go about eating with the environment in mind, and what effects does it have on our society? We explore the issue in Sustainable diets: eating in harmony with the planet.

A recent study has found that many children and adults don’t know where some foods come from or how they are grown. 25% of kids surveyed thought strawberries grew underground. Stephanie Slater, Founder & Chief Executive, School Food Matters and Chantelle Nicholson, Chef & Owner of Apricity Restaurant join the Food Matters Live podcast to discuss Why food education matters more now than ever before.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend,

Stef